"Kid, let's see how you die now! Hahahaha!" Hong Fangqi laughed heartily, his eyes looking at his adversary as if he were already a dead man.
Perhaps not everyone understood Zhou Santong's methods, but Hong Fangqi was very clear about them. This man's Iron Fists were reputed to be unbeatable throughout the world, even if that was somewhat of an exaggeration.
Yet, almost everyone who had opposed Hong Fangqi had never gained an advantage over Zhou Santong.
That was also the foundation of Hong Fangqi's haughty confidence.
Neither Ning Fan nor Zhou Santong paid any attention to him.
Zhou Santong's gaze was complex. A short exchange had caused his emotions to fluctuate greatly.
On the other side, Bai Yunxi's eyes showed worry. She was agitated and wanted to stand up, but Xu Xiaoqing stopped her.
"Don't worry, our Ning Fan is very good at fighting!"
Xu Xiaoqing's eyes sparkled with tiny stars, showing no concern for Ning Fan at all, but her words made Bai Yunxi feel a bit puzzled.
Bai Yunxi looked at Xu Xiaoqing, curious about the exact nature of her relationship with Ning Fan.
Meanwhile, seeing Zhou Santong staring blankly at his opponent and showing no intent to make a move, Hong Fangqi called out again, "Zhou Santong, for me, cripple him, break his limbs, no, all five of them! You'll be well rewarded for it!"
Zhou Santong frowned, seemingly not hearing what Hong Fangqi had said.
Then, with a resolve, he took a step forward, holding his still-trembling fists, and said to Ning Fan with due respect, "I am Zhou Santong of the Iron Fist Sect!"
Seeing Zhou Santong introduce himself to Ning Fan, Hong Fangqi and his group were stunned, but they figured that as a man of Jianghu, he probably had his own set of rules and didn't give it much thought.
But they had no idea how shocked Zhou Santong was feeling. Ning Fan's strength was formidable, and his youthful age combined with such power was far more impressive than Zhou Santong's own ability.
Ning Fan observed Zhou Santong and shook his head. Seeing that his attitude was good, he then advised, "You've already sustained a hidden injury. If you don't want to halt your progress, you should seek out a good doctor."
Zhou Santong shook visibly, looking at Ning Fan in astonishment. Their interaction caused everyone in the private room to freeze. They didn't understand why the two had not started fighting yet.
But in the next moment, Zhou Santong once again gave a respectful fist salute, even more reverent than before, "Zhou Santong was blind to your presence, senior. Please forgive my ignorance!"
The fact that he had a hidden injury was something only he knew about. As Zhou Santong had been roaming Jianghu for years, he naturally wouldn't reveal this vulnerability.
Yet, with just one glance, Ning Fan had discerned his condition. At this moment, Zhou Santong was even more certain of Ning Fan's strength, which was surely far beyond his own.
Although he was arrogant, he was not a fool; otherwise, he wouldn't have survived so long in the treacherous world of Jianghu.
Including Hong Fangqi, everyone present was baffled at that moment. What was going on with Zhou Santong acting so respectfully towards Ning Fan?!
"Zhou Santong, go on, cripple him, did you hear what I said?!"
Hong Fangqi roared furiously, jumping up and down in anger.
The hired expert he paid for dared to ignore him, and to add insult to injury, he showed such respect to his enemy. Naturally, Hong Fangqi couldn't stand it.
Zhou Santong glanced at him contemptuously. Although he had been hired by Hong Fangqi's money, no matter how much it was, one had to be alive to spend it.
He was well aware that crossing someone like Ning Fan, a martial artist of his caliber in Jianghu, led to only one path—death. And to him, his life was worth far more than anything else.
In Jianghu, where fists did the talking, the person with the hardest fists and greatest strength held the right to speak.
"Senior, if Santong has offended you in any way, I hope you can be magnanimous!"
Zhou Santong ignored Hong Fangqi and came directly to Ning Fan, respectfully bending over, while picking up another intact bottle of wine and pouring a cup for Ning Fan.
After filling Ning Fan's cup, Zhou Santong poured three cups for himself as well.
Having said that, Zhou Santong ignored the astonished looks of the others and drank all three cups one after the other.
Now, Zhou Santong would rather offend Hong Fangqi than Ning Fan; that punch just now had given a glimpse of Ning Fan's strength.
He came from the Iron Fist Sect, claiming to have a pair of iron fists that trembled the heavens, but had been defeated in a single move.
Ning Fan was amused; he hadn't expected Zhou Santong, who seemed so arrogant, to be such an astute person. Without another word, he drank the remaining cup of wine on the table.
Seeing Ning Fan drink, Zhou Santong's face lit up with joy, and just as he was about to say something, Hong Fangqi walked over from the other side.
Hong Fangqi's face was dark and terrifying. He pointed at Zhou Santong and shouted, "Zhou Santong, don't forget, you were hired by me! Are you planning to betray me?"
Zhou Santong gave him a cold look, and Hong Fangqi took a step back, frightened.
Meanwhile, Ning Fan sat down, watching the scene unfold with interest.
Simultaneously, Zhou Santong said with a cold laugh, "Sorry, Boss Hong, it's true that I was hired by your money. But however good the money is, can it be more important than life? For me, it's just a change of employer."
Although he had been brought in by Hong Fangqi for a large sum of money, Zhou Santong was only in it for the earnings. His iron fists were formidable, feared throughout Jiangnan, yet he had been defeated by Ning Fan in just one move.
In Jianghu, Zhou Santong, who had worked his way up to where he was, clearly understood the importance of life, and the reason he was willing to follow Hong Fangqi was simply because this man was foolish with plentiful wealth.
On normal days when he wouldn't encounter any real masters, Zhou Santong was just lying down making money, without having to regard Hong Fangqi's mood.
But now, since Hong Fangqi had offended a master like Ning Fan, Zhou Santong was not foolish; he wouldn't dare offend Ning Fan.
So for him, it was merely a matter of changing employers while also preserving his own life. Moreover, since Ning Fan had accepted his apology, he didn't need to worry about Ning Fan holding a grudge against him in the future.
Hong Fangqi was so angry he felt like vomiting blood; turning his head to Ning Fan, he was too enraged to speak.
Zhou Santong let out a cold laugh, ignoring Hong Fangqi, and continued to look respectfully at Ning Fan.
Nobody had expected the situation to develop in such a way; aside from the furiously snarling Hong Fangqi and the involved Ning Fan and Zhou Santong, everyone else was completely dumbfounded.
Bai Yunxi and Xu Xiaoqing were bewildered at this point, watching Ning Fan continue to drink and eat nonchalantly, their expressions turning strange.
"You shouldn't need me to teach you what to do, right?"
Without turning his head, Ning Fan said indifferently to Zhou Santong.
Upon hearing this, Hong Fangqi's face suddenly changed, and he looked incredulously at Ning Fan.
"Are you planning to?!"
Hong Fangqi and others' eyes widened in shock, their bodies trembling, as if they had realized something.
But still, Hong Fangqi could not believe the scene unfolding before him.